DreamWorld
Elsewhere-Tower-Top Floor
Tobias tosses a Lancer at Xander as Valencia whips around him and kicks him near the lancer as it explodes, but Xander shrugged the blast off as he spun and stabbed at Valencia's who blocks with her wings as Xander quickly turns to block Tobias's attacks as the two traded off attacking as they would then set up for the other.
Elsewhere
Michael and Lucifer watch as the battle is waging on as the droids are slowly taking the last remaining Agents out.
Lucifer: It seems we grow closer and closer to the new darkness.
Michael: There is still hope. Not all is lost.
Lucifer: I say only what I see.
Michael: This battle may be over soon, buy let us not forget that the war will be long and hard.
Lucifer: We wanted to avoid a war, remember.
Michael: The will of the cosmos decides all. We are merely pawns at the moment.
Lucifer takes a drink as he wipes his mouth and sighs.
Lucifer: What a mess.
Michael folds his arms.
Michael: Now that, we can agree on.
Elsewhere-Tower- Top Floor
Valencia wraps the chain around Xander's arm and pulls it, giving Tobias a clean shot but as Tobias takes a swipe at it, Xander uses his strength and pulls Valencia in, Tobias altering his angle as Xander kicks her away and stabs at Tobias who blocks it and slams the back end of the lancer into Xander's chest, forcing him back as Valencia slashes the chain blade and knocks Xander across his right eye as Xander howl's as Tobias creates a series of self mounted torrent guns and Missile Launchers as he begins firing them at Xander as Valencia flaps the golden wings and sends sharp, light based feathers firing at Xander as Xander disappears behind smoke and light as the two keep up the assault but as they do the white light from when he touches the ground begins to travel at them and Valencia quickly knocks Tobias from it's area as Valencia gets struck by it, Tobias watching as a large bladed chain shoots out of the smoke and stands through Valencia's abdomen as she screams, Tobias watching as the chain yanks backwards and pulls Valencia into the smoke as Tobias quickly gets up and screams for her as he stops firing and waits for the smoke to dissipate before he sees Xander holding Valencia hostage blade end of Durandel pressed to her throat as Tobias stops, fear through his face as Xander grins.
Xander: Who is she to you, Tobias?
Xander knicks her throat and she whimpers as the wound bleeds as Tobias tightens his grip in the lances he was holding.
Xander: You could lose her, but taking me out would be easy at this point. Buy you won't risk it. Why is that?
Tobias: Stop this…
Xander: Stop?! I've asked you to join me, I've begged you! But you've stayed on your side, defiant to the end, well where is that defiance now! Huh!? What's got you scared! Her life! She's a construct! Same as I! But you know the difference...if you die you just wake up a bit later. Go about your day...you know what happens to us don't you! Don't you! We become nothing! 0's and 1's broken up and spread across the dream like virtual ashes. Specks of digital dust. You toil her, free from the fears of death and what have we known! Nothing but! Why do you care if I take this bitches head!?
Tobias: Because…!
Valencia looks at him as Tobias closes his eyes as he looks away from them.
Tobias: She's all I ever had…
Xander stares at him as Tobias looks at him.
Tobias: My parents died when I was young. My grandmother didn't want me around and by then I was already showing the signs that I was a dreamer...so she turned me in. I was alone...scared..surrounded by men and women who treated me like a monster (his words began to play out in a visual flashback) I would enter the dream when everyone was asleep, I don't even remember what happened or why but she came...same age as me, but that face.. I'll always remember the first time I saw her smile...she took my hand and everything seemed to brighten... I wasn't alone anymore...she aged with me...she was always there...my confidence grew...my fear melted away...when I was 17, we became intimate...not out of a teenager's frustrated need for connection but because we were all we had. That's when I knew...she wasn't a figment of my imagination...she wasn't merely a dream construct...she was alive….she was my savior…I'll do anything for her because I would be nothing without her so I'm asking you...I'm begging you...spare her...and I'll do anything you ask…
Valencia: No! Tobias... don't…
Xander: You swear fealty to me...to spare your Echo?
Tobias: No...I've never thought of her as an Echo. She's Valencia... I'll swear my service to you for Valencia…
Xander grins.
Xander: I think it's rather sweet but foolish. I will spare her but only because I find your devotion admirable.
Xander slowly moves the blade from Valencia's neck.
Xander: But just in case…
Xander tears back and stand the blade through Valencia's stomach, Tobias screaming as he created two lancers and tosses them with such force that even as Xander blocked the attacks, the force and the subsequent explosion sent him sailing through the nearby wall as Tobias runs and slides to catch Valencia before she fell as her stomach had a huge wound that bleed freely as the digital blood and code stained along the floor as Valencia coughs up some blood as Tobias places some pressure on the wound as Valencia reaches up and touches this face.
Valencia: I'll be okay…
Tobias: Stop talking please just…
Valencia: If he wanted me dead he could've done it...look
Tobias looked down as the ethereal light was slowly closing the wound.
Valencia: I'll be alright…
Tobias nods as she wiped a tear from his eyes.
Valencia: You're your own man, Tobias. You don't need me here to validate who you are...what your worth is…
Tobias: Valencia…
Valencia: I live and love because you brought me into the world and let me grow and learn and feel. But I've coddled you...same as you've coddled me. What makes our bond special is that we are our person...one or the other doesn't make us whole…
Tobias looks as he can hear the nearing footsteps from the smoke and debris as Valencia groans as she places a hand softly over Tobias's.
Valencia: You're not responsible for what happens to me... you're only responsible for yourself, your life…
Xander glares at Tobias as Tobias stands as Valencia scoots back as she keeps her hands over her wound as Tobias throws his arms out and creates his lancers as Xander raises Durandel as the two began to clash as Valencia watches Tobias's newfound focus.
Valencia:(inner monologue) I know you hold me in such high regard...I know how much I matter to you...how much you matter to me...but you're your own man, Tobias...you never needed me...you only needed the comfort that came when you felt alone... but I hope you have realized...they you're not alone anymore…
Tobias and Xander fought with a reckless fury as Xander swipes and slashes at Tobias's head only for Tobias to block and throw a exploding lancer as Xander knocks the lancer aside and let's it explode beside him as the two begin trading blows as Tobias screams and throws both lancers again as Xander rolls out of the way and slashes the second one upwards into the air as it exploded above them as Tobias creates a nimcha sword and begins to trade blows as Xander overpowers Tobias but Tobias is able to hook the blade between the quillons on the blade as Tobias uses it to disarm Xander as Tobias then creates two sai's and begins stabbing then into Xander's chest, Xander quickly grabbing Tobias wrists as he pulls him in and headbutts Tobias as Xander kicks Tobias legs out from under him and then stops his boots three times against Tobias's skull as he then pulls Tobias up and grabs him by his throat as he begins to choke him.
Xander: I should thank you...you're the first person I've ever felt the thrill of killing….
Tobias fights to pull him off as Xander pushes his fingers deeper into his throat as Tobias materializes a lancer and stabs it up catching Xander in the side as Xander groans out loudly as the lancer begins to glow as he pulls the lancer out and tosses it to the side as it exploded in the ground next to them as Xander kept his hold on Tobias's throat as Tobias's eyes rolled before Xander grinned with psychotic glee.
Voice: Hey...asshole!
Xander looks over towards the doors as a panting Esmeray has her daggers in hand as her knee wound was surrounded by a layer of ice that had stopped her bleeding as she throws her daggers and forces Xander to drop his hold on Tobias's throat as he catches the blade and tosses them down before leaving himself wide open as Esmeray throws a fiery punch that sends Xander flying backwards as he lands hard as Esmeray quickly limps over next to Tobias as Tobias looks up at her as she shrugs.
Esmeray: Get up...were not done yet
Esmeray holds a hand out as Tobias takes it as Valencia smiles as she sees Esmeray and Tobias standing together as they faced a angered Xander who glared at them with death in his eyes.
End of chapter.